Sama gestures and moves the thundercloud to another part of the room, then rushes in.
"Guiness! Guiness! Get up, you stupid dwarf!" she shouts, looking anguished.
"A shroud, you mean..." Boudacia's voice trails off and she stands stunned for a minute. She then mechanically gets one of the cloaks requested by Gansu and hands it to him, moving slowly and quietly. The normally composed and coherent witch has tears in her eyes and appears lost for words.
Aldhranhald squeezes himself between the statue and the wall, and puts forth every ounce of strength he can muster to try and tip the statue over, hoping to break the chemical filled vase off the main body of the statue.
The halls outside the room you are currently in seem strangely quiet. Considering that you know one of the bandits pulled on what appeared to be a 'bell' rope, you're not sure what to make of this.
After hearing from Boudacia that Brother Guiness has died, Aldranhald heads to the room where he sacrificed himself to protect them. He kneels beside him and whispers a small prayer to Irori for his safe passing to the upper planes, touching the dwarf's forehead and heart. Then, standing, he turns to the group and says. "I'd like to take Brother Guiness to the Stonde farm and, as they are willing, bury him there. I won't leave his body in this place." The way he says it makes it clear, if he has to, he'll drag Brother Guiness body out of the emerald spire and through the woods himself.
The group gathers around Brother Guiness's corpse, realizing their faithful protector has passed out of this life. Some can take some consolation recognizing the fact that he died doing what he wanted to do - "Protect the Party" was his motto. Brother Guiness definitely protected the party and especially so in this most recent encounter. Recalling his fondness of his dwarven ale and the cask he carried with him, you each take a cup of the ale, raising your mugs in a toast to Brother Guiness, and for any not opposed to doing so, you also honor Cayden Cailean. Each of you drink your ale, saving the last sip and pouring it onto Brother Guiness's corpse in his honor.
"I'd like to take Brother Guiness to the Stonde farm and, as they are willing, bury him there. I won't leave his body in this place."
"No, you're right, of course. I wouldn't either. Should we leave now?"
"I agree. Let us make our way to the Stondes' farm and see if our brave comrade can be laid to rest there." offers Boudacia, still obviously upset and shocked.
The group gathers around Brother Guiness's corpse, and they realize that He and all his equipment are quite heavy! Gansu can carry the corpse still in the clothes and armor, but will not be able to move as quickly. If you wish to remove his armor, Aldhranhald can carry it, and the rest of the possessions can be divided between Boudacia and Sama and everyone will be okay.
As you start to head back, you quickly come to another problem. The ladder that goes up to the next level. You are able to rig things up and using a rope or two manage to lift his corpse and equipment. It certainly is not the most dignified moment for anyone in the group, but realizing the option of leaving his corpse down in this horrible place makes all the trouble seem worth it.
The somber group finally reaches the exit. You start to run across the open glade as best you can with your burdens. About halfway across the glade, a portal suddenly pops open right in front of you! You see something you cannot even begin to describe! The scene is full of horrible, fatal looking creatures and they are closing in on a group of adventurers who are most certainly about to die in a most dreadful manner. Some of you recognize your former companion, Kessa, and perhaps even Tamlara? But you are not certain as you suddenly have to step aside for a heavily armored and armed human looking man who suddenly comes tumbling out of the portal. "Kessaaaaa!!!" he screams as he tumbles to the ground. and just as quickly as it appeared the portal is suddenly gone!
Sama drops to her knees next to Guiness, scraping them painfully, and shakes the fallen dwarf as Boudacia pragmatically backtracks to find a cloak. "Come on! Come on! Just shake it off like one of your drunken benders, you earthy sod! You can't just- you can't just- you can't just leave me down here stuck under the earth without you! You... you dumb dwarf. How am I supposed to do this without you?"
Ugly sobs wrack her frame and she leans backward and holds her face in her hands. As the team discusses the final disposition of the body she is too distraught to even nod in acknowledgement.
~~~~~~~~~~
As the team tracks across the landscape Sama's sobbing subsides to sniffling and her gauzy garments hang limply, without even the customary breeze. She stumbles along numbly like she has been rendered insensible, barely noticing the world around her.
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The plaintive cry for Kessa is cut short as the figure hits the ground...hard..flat on his back. A trail of viscous slime outlines a huge dent in the shield still strapped to his left arm, and the longsword in his right hand drops from limp fingers. Emblazoned on his breastplate is an upright sword superimposed over a starburst. He appears to be clothed in some kind of soldier’s uniform, although it has lately seen rough use. His facial features are obscured by a matching helmet, but you can catch a glimpse of tanned skin and blonde hair.
Ugly sobs wrack her frame and she leans backward and holds her face in her hands. As the team discusses the final disposition of the body she is too distraught to even nod in acknowledgement.
When Boudacia has given the cloak to Gansu, she goes over to Sama, apparently trying to find some words of comfort and when nothing is found, silently embraces Sama.
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When the strange interdimensional scene is revealed, Boudacia's initial reaction is to prepare for attack. When no attack arrives and the portal disappears a rather nonplussed and confused Boudacia goes over to the fallen figure. She stares at it a moment then prods it to see if it actually there, then takes a pulse to see if he is alive and tries to bring him back to consciousness, asking "Are you still with us blondie?"
"That symbol... that's Iomedae's isn't it? This man must be a knight of some sort."
Gansu leans down and looks to see if the stranger is in need of healing.
"Wait... I think I know how to bring him around."
Gansu searches the various puches on his person until he finds some particularly pungent herbs. He holds them under the man's nose and rubs them between his fingers, crushing them and releasing a sharp acrid odour.
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The man on the ground starts to move again once the healing power flows into him, then he starts awake when Gansu waves the smelling salts underneath his nose.
Sitting up quickly, Uriel glances around, confused. "What is this place?" Looking around and seeing the forest, the clearing, the natural earth and sky, his eyes focus on the one who healed him for a moment . "Thank you for healing me. I must return immediately to...to...", his voice trailing off as he can find no words to describe the place he has been for the last few days.
The man is obviously a warrior of some type, and the holy symbol on his breast and his choice of weapon indicate he is dedicated to Iomedae. Other than his left arm (which appears to be broken underneath the ruined shield), he seems okay, if beaten and battered somewhat--probably protected by the silver breastplate that is inexplicably changing color to a light golden hue as you watch. With bronzed skin, blue eyes, and pale blonde hair, he looks like a wizard's figment of the heroic knight, but his simple words reveal that he is either addled from his recent ordeal or not the most erudite of thinkers.
"For starters the Material Plane, which, wherever you just were was most definitely not. Further, Golarion, more specifically the River Kingdoms, even more specifically the glade outside the ruins of the Emerald Spire. I am Aldhranhald, and you are?" Aldhranhald says, hoping the man didn't take too much brain damage from his battering and plane travel.
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Glancing around in vain for another portal to leap back into and save his friends, the wounded man man switches his strange, penetrating gaze to Aldhranhald as he speaks . ”By the Inheritor’s Blade, I am back on Golarion!”
Seeing no immediate way to save his friends trapped in the other world, Uriel answers Aldhranhald’s question, ”I am called Uriel of Mendev. Thank you for helping me.” looking at the burdens the party members carry, Uriel adds, ”I am sworn to help the others trapped in that terrible place, but I have no idea how to get back and do so...and it looks like you carry burdens of your own. How can I be of service?”
Uriel staggers to his feet as he speaks, his shield and left arm hanging limply at his side. Retrieving and sheathing his longsword, he then appears to be offering to help carry something...
Sama looks a bit gobsmacked by the new arrival.
"Uhhh..." she says, dumbfounded, and her skirts swirl around her in a sudden breeze.
Then she looks up and around the glade.
"Nice to meet you, but, uh, this is not a great place to meet people," she says. "Aldhranhald, can you help him up? We shouldn't stick around. Let's get back to town or something."
”I am sworn to help the others trapped in that terrible place, but I have no idea how to get back and do so...and it looks like you carry burdens of your own. How can I be of service?”
"Service? No, no. There is no obligation. But as my friend said, we should be going."
As the group moves on, Gansu asks:
"I swear, the others we saw through the portal... they looked very familiar. Who were they?"
Before reaching down to help the knight of the sunrise sword off the ground, Aldhranhald quickly retrieves the curative wand from his belt and expends a charge. So as he touches Uriel to help him up, healing magic flows out of his hand into the holy champion.
"Yes, let's away. This glade is dangerous place to linger for more than one reason." He says, as he exerts himself to help Uriel, and to carry their deceased dwarf friend and his gear. "To the forest edge, then we can talk some more."
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Turning to Gansu as they are walking, Uriel responds, "The lady warrior is paladin of Saranrae named Kessa. It was her voice I heard last week when a strange green portal opened nearby, and that was when this strange adventure began. We wandered for days, trying to stay alive, but those creatures finally caught up to us. Then, out of nowhere, this pale redheaded girl showed up and motioned us to what she said was a great hiding place. I didn't get her name. Before we could get there, the monsters caught up with us and I charged them to give the ladies some time to escape. The last thing I remember before waking up here was one of those huge beasts swinging at me with its tentacle."
Addressing Aldhranhald, Uriel states, "Thank you, Aldhranhald, for the healing. Kessa and I swore to get each other out of that place, but I really don't know much about portals."
Once the group has passed the edge of the clearing into the woods, Uriel leans against a nearby tree, slowly unstrapping his ruined shield and stowing it. He looks at his broken arm, and makes some prayers to Iomedae, and the arm slowly heals, the bones snapping back into place.
Sama looks a bit gobsmacked by the new arrival. ...
*****
As you approach the farm it is nearing night time once again. Once you are spotted Davon comes out and waves a greeting. Upon your approach he notices the new member right away. "I see your group has changed yet again?! It must be something to get used to having frequent changes like this." Then he realizes you are carrying Brother Guiness's corpse. " what happened? Is there no way he could have been saved? I have heard stories of priests that are able to return the dead to life, but I doubt those are true, and if they are the price they charge is a king's ransom in itself anyways. ... I am sorry for your loss. Please forgive me, I ramble on. What can we do to help?"
Exhausted, mentally, physically, and emotionally from the journey, Aldhranhald steps to Davon and says, "If your family can find some quiet spot, here in this beautiful setting, for us to bury Brother Guinness, we'd greatly appreciate it. That, and a day or two of rest and recuperation, so that we can process these ills in the presence of other joys, would be a boon most benevolent."
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Uriel nods in acknowledgement as the farmer takes notice of him, but otherwise keeps a respectful distance as the adventurers make arrangements to interr one of their own.
Having taken several opportunities to scan the companions for traces of evil’s taint (and finding none), a simple plan begins to form in his mind...
”This Aldhranhald fellow seems very smart, and he know about these green portals. And there was the green tower nearby too...Maybe he can help me find a way to rescue Kessa and that other girl...or maybe the answer to the green portals lies within the green tower. This is way more complicated than just following orders to defend the city against demons...Imodae guide my steps...
Gansu sighs at the mention of raising the dead. "Sadly, the spell to raise a man from the dead requires a volume of diamonds in its casting. Even were we able to find a priest who would do it for free, the diamonds would still need to be provided. I'm afraid that we do not have nearly enough."
"Nor do most people. So many are taken tragically in their prime, but only a few can be restored. I would that a means other than wealth was what decided who can be brought back, but that is the way of the world."
Once the group has passed the edge of the clearing into the woods, Uriel leans against a nearby tree, slowly unstrapping his ruined shield and stowing it. He looks at his broken arm, and makes some prayers to Iomedae, and the arm slowly heals, the bones snapping back into place.
"That is a good trick. I don't suppose you could teach it to me?"enquires Boudacia, who then adds "My name is Boudacia and this is my familiar Wayne. I am a Bloodmarked Skinwalker and can turn into a bat, so don't be alarmed if you see that."
When the group have arrived at the Stonde farm, Boudacia says "Good to see you Davon. This is Uriel of Mendev."
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”A pleasure to meet you, Boudacia. I am blessed with a limited ability to heal myself and others by the laying on of hands, just as I am also given the ability to smite an evil enemy on occasion. These abilities are granted to me by Iomedae, so using them is a matter of devotion, not skill. I could share with you the path to gaining such powers, but you would need to start by pledging similar devotion to a holy diety.”
As he is still somewhat injured and she has shown interest, Uriel will demonstrate for her the process...
Uriel smiles softly as he broaches what, for many people, is the sensitive topic of personal faith. He then remarks, ”Thank you for the warning of your shapeshifting power. It sounds quite remarkable.”
Turning to Wayne, Uriel also states, “A pleasure to meet you as well, Wayne.”. Not really knowing what else to say to a bat, Uriel leaves it at that.
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At some point when there is a pause from the funeral/wake/drunken revelry remembering BG, Uriel approaches Aldhrahald quietly.
"Excuse me, Aldhranhald, I do not mean to intrude, but time is passing and my friends are still likely stuck in that hellish dimension on the other side of those green portals. Do you know anything about these portals? How and when they open? How we might keep them open long enough to rescue Kessa and that other girl? And are they connected to that green tower?"
Sama finally snaps and says sharply, "Listen, I don't know if your 'portals' are linked to the Spire, but that whole place is unstable with extradimensional energies, so it's not safe to stay there. In the meantime we just lost a dear friend and companion to one of the horrors lairing in the Spire and we have the sad duty of burying him here near this farm where these kind people have been generous enough to show us hospitality and still we don't know what is going on with the Spire and it's going to take a little time, all right?"
With that, she bursts into a fresh round of tears, like a sudden rainshower.
Aldhranhald waits patiently for Davon to discuss with his mother whether or not burying Brother Guiness on their property is something they'd allow, as well as their request to stay here and rest for a day or two. Listening to Uriel and Sama's conversation Aldhranhald steps in and says, "You'll have to forgive Sama her emotions, Uriel. This is a difficult time for us all. Brother Guiness was a stalwart friend, and a tireless warrior, we are still, all, trying to come to grips with his loss. As to the portals you speak of, I have just recently begun my study of such things. To answer your questions, I am not certain whether the portals opening and closing at random around the emerald ruins are linked to the site itself or not. Additionally, sadly, opening such portals is beyond my current magical ability, but with some further study, I am confident I'll be able to master such arcane trans-dimensional travel. However, that study and practice could take the life age of a man. I don't know if staying with us will truly be the most efficient way for you to find your way back to whatever dimension our friends and yours were transported to. I do know, though, that if the Spire is indeed the focus through which these portals are being conjured, exploring the green ruins will be the only way to learn more about them. If you would like to accompany us when we head back to the spire, I, for one, would be glad of your righteous company."
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Uriel appears to consider carefully what Aldhranhald is saying, even if he doesn’t understand all of it.
”Thank you Aldhranhald. Let me seek Iomedae’s guidance.”
Uriel retreats to pray. ”Certainly standing out in the field near the tower and waiting for a portal seems like a waste of time. I leave it in your hands, Iomedae, to save them or guide me to aid them as you see fit. In the meantime, these people need help and their cause seems just—rescuing Wizards, destroying evil creatures, investigating the unknown...is this the path you would have me follow?”
Uriel returns to Aldhranhald after a few minutes in solitude. ”I will join your cause, if you and the rest of your group will have me.”
"As I said, Uriel, for my own part, I welcome you whole-heartedly. Your discerning sense of justice is a welcome asset, as is your blade, I've no doubt. As an old friend of mine used to say, 'more prayers are always better than fewer,' and 'many hands make even the heaviest burden light.'"
Davon and his Mother will both come back out, "Mr. Aldhranhald sir, after consulting with my Mother just to confirm, yes of course you can certainly lay Brother Guiness to rest here. Anywhere rasonable that you would like, as a matter of fact we would be honored if you would lie him under that big oak tree next to my father's resting place. Your group has done so much to help us financially and emotionally - Believe me, anything to break up the monotonous life of the daily routine on such a farm as this, is emotionally helpful! - that you are welcome here and even a stay of various days instead of your typical 'overnight' is most welcome! Anytime you feel a need to rest and recuperate, please feel welcome to come give us a visit."
Aldhranhald smiles at Davon when he returns with such gracious news. "Davon, you and your family serve as a beacon of light in an otherwise dark and dreary world. I know Brother Guiness would be most honored to share a resting place under the mighty oak next to your father. We will begin preparations presently. Thank you, as always, for your gracious good will, and your generous hospitality." He then turns to his friends and says, "As dismal a task as it is, I believe we should divest Brother of the bulk of his worldly possessions. They do him no good in the grave. I wouldn't mind his bit of silk rope and the two flasks of alchemist's fire he had stowed. Others? Any of his treasures you'd like to carry on?" Aldhranhald, never one for standing on ceremony, and enlightened as to the nature of the souls' travels beyond the mortal coil, kneels down by Brother Guiness corpse and begins spreading out his treasures onto the ground to be distributed as desired. A morbid task, perhaps, but nonetheless necessary.
Sama instantly swipes Guiness' flask and clutches it close to her chest, still sniffling. "This goes with him. Do whatever with everything else, but he takes his flask with him."
Sama instantly swipes Guiness' flask and clutches it close to her chest, still sniffling. "This goes with him. Do whatever with everything else, but he takes his flask with him."
Sama instantly swipes Guiness' flask and clutches it close to her chest, still sniffling. "This goes with him. Do whatever with everything else, but he takes his flask with him."
"Indeed. I believe I owe him a few pints when we meet again in the beyond." Gansu looks down at the dwarf as he is lowered in. "Don't worry, my brave friend... I won't forget."
The group lays Brother Guiness's corpse to rest under the mighty oak tree, next to Mr. Stonde's grave. Everyone gathers around and gives their farewell's to Brother Guiness in their own manner, some in quiet contemplation, others weeping openly. Some say a few words in his honor. Even the entire Stonde family gathers around after you have finished and they pay their respects as well.
Everyone, including Mrs Stonde & Davon, spend the rest of the day drinking the dwarf's stout ale, at times raising their mugs/tankards/glasses/containers in honor to Brother Guiness - their great protector. Everyone saves their last sip and pours it out on his grave doing him one more honor.
Afterwards the group decides to spend the next couple of days around the Stonde homestead relaxing and recuperating both physically and emotionally.
On the eve of the second day Uriel will go around asking everybody as to their plans and if they are in agreement with him joining the group or not. He starts making heavy hints at a desire to go investigate this spire he keeps hearing about and that he only saw vaguely from some distance away as you all rushed across the glade.
"Since we have left the spire, we may as well return to the fort to resupply before going back."